What is the house edge?
The house edge is the share of every bet the casino expects to keep over time. A 1% edge means that across 100,000 wagered you would lose about 1,000 on average. Short sessions swing either way, but the longer you play the closer you get to the number.
Comparison
- Craps — Pass Line + Odds: below 1.41% (the Odds bet has no edge)
- Blackjack (basic strategy, 3:2): about 0.5%
- Baccarat — Banker: 1.06% (after 5% commission)
- Baccarat — Player: 1.24%
- European roulette (single zero): 2.70%
- Sic bo — Big/Small: 2.78%
- American roulette (0 and 00): 5.26%
- Slots: roughly 2–15% depending on the machine
- Baccarat — Tie (8:1): 14.36%
Estimate your hourly cost
Use bet per round × rounds per hour × house edge.
- Baccarat Banker at 1,000 a hand, ~70 hands an hour → about 740 an hour on average
- Slots at 50 a spin, 500 spins an hour, 90% RTP → about 2,500 an hour on average
Fast games with high edges cost far more than most people expect.
Bottom line
No house-banked game favours the player long term (poker, played against others, is the exception). Treat play as entertainment, pick low-edge bets, slow down and set a budget before you start.
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